Sarah Smith's 12th Grade Project

Ironically, the end of lacrosse season has always signified new beginnings— the start of summer and the completion of another school year. Lacrosse was a constant in my life, and although the season would always come to an end, I confidently knew the sport would await me the following year. This year, however, the end of lacrosse season (and spring sports for that matter) is the opposite of new beginnings. My last lacrosse game will put an end to my 8-year career, and my 6-year stint on the Brimmer Varsity Team. Although I do not plan to continue competitive sports at the Varsity level in college, I know that the skills instilled in me

As mentioned previously, I began playing on the Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Team as a 7th grader. Traditionally a high school team, my contribution as a 12 year old is something unheard of at most independent schools. Being the only Middle Schooler on the team, I hoped to fill some big shoes as a little girl. I worked tirelessly everyday to improve my skills— to ultimately prove myself as a valuable player and integral part of the team. Six years later, as the only senior and sole captain, I strive to apply the same mentality, in hopes the younger athletes can look up to me the same way I looked up to my captains.

I always wondered what my final days as a Gator would constitute, and if I would feel the same emotions my senior teammates displayed in years past— which usually included a bubbling mix of excitement and sadness. As I step onto Orr Field for the last time, I am certain that I will feel a sense of pride knowing that I have been one piece in a larger puzzle, representing Brimmer athletics for the past six years. Although my career as a competitive athlete will not continue past Brimmer, I am positive that the team will make great strides next year, hopefully placing into the tournament for a shot at claiming the IGC Championship title.

Go Gators! I am cheering on all my senior friends as they step onto the field (or court) for the last time.

As the seniors are wrapping up the academic year and finishing Advanced Placement exams, students have one last graduation requirement to fulfill— the Senior Thesis Defense. The Senior Thesis, a Brimmer tradition, combines a written and oral presentation that all graduating students defend to a panel of teachers, administrators, and peers. Seniors begin research for their theses in January, reading primary sources from an author of their choosing. After studying both primary and secondary sources, each senior creates a unique 10-12 page thesis regarding the prevailing question: What does your author believe it means to be human? Once seniors finish the written portion, they prepare a 20-minute presentation defending their work. Senior thesis defenses begin in early May and continue through the end of the month.

 

Students elect to choose an author from an array of options for their capstone project. Among the writers chosen this year include: Oscar Wilde, Philip Pullman, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and several others. For the entirety of my final months at Brimmer, I chose to study the works of Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Through reading Purple Hibiscus, We Should all Be Femminists, and Americanah, I ultimately proposed that in order to end the patriarchal division of the sexes, one must understand the significance of the intersectionality between gender and geography in the creation of one’s identity. Although the Senior Thesis can be daunting, it is the perfect way to keep seniors engaged through the end of the year. Ultimately, everyone is proud of the work they have accomplished, leaving students feeling prepared for their future academic pursuits in college.

 

Because my fellow classmates and I pulled the trigger on our college decisions by the May 1st deadline, it is finally becoming a stark reality that we will not be returning to the familiarity and comfort of Brimmer next fall. Although leaving is a bittersweet sensation, I am positive that my time at Brimmer is a compilation of memories that I will hold with me for the rest of my life. I remember walking through the doors of the Chase Building on my first day in 7th grade, reserved and hesitant to open up to strangers who were supposed to be my peers. Little did I know, these strangers would become my best friends and help shape my sense of self. My fellow 7th-grade cohorts were Nicholas Correia and Deshaun Simon, both awkward, unsure Middle Schoolers (as was I). To this day, I consider them family and could not be more proud of the people they have become and of their decisions to both attend Brown University in the fall (go Bears!) Although I am particularly excited for Nick and Deshaun about their next adventures, I am equally as excited for my other classmates, and I am certain that they will be extremely successful in their future endeavors.